British ships make one of largest ever drug hauls in Caribbean

LONDON (AFP) - British naval ships made one of the largest ever drug hauls in the Caribbean, netting cocaine from a cargo ship worth 350 million pounds (620 million dollars), the Ministry of Defence said.

Three and a half tonnes of cocaine were seized following the swoop in the southwest Caribbean between Jamaica and Colombia by ships from the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

"The drugs would have had a UK street value of some 350 million pounds, one of the largest ever drugs hauls," the defence ministry said in a statement Friday.

In a high-speed operation, HMS Southampton, a Royal Navy guided missile destroyer, chased after the cargo boat at nearly 30 knots along with a Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker, Grey Rover.

A helicopter from the Southampton also gave chase.

The cargo vessel, MV Rampage, was taken completely by surprise as British sailors zipped across the water on inflatable boats to board it at sunset on Tuesday, the defence ministry said.

The news of the haul was only cleared for public release on Friday, a spokesman said.

A search of the vessel uncovered a large number of cocaine bales, according to the defence ministry.

Defence Secretary John Reid said: "This is another great success for the Royal Navy in countering the trafficking of illegal drugs, which destroy the lives of families in the United Kingdom and around the world."

HMS Southampton had been replenishing fuel from the Grey Rover tanker while working in the area with the US coast guard and Dutch naval authorities when it spotted the suspect vessel.